Snapp Guides Review

What is Snapp Guides?

Snapp Guides is an app for Android and iOS smartphones that enables you to access inspirational images of and information about key locations across the globe to help you plan a landscape shoot. Once the app is installed, you can browse and purchase the guides for between $3.99 and $14.99.

The guides are grouped into regions that cover a number of shooting locations. The UK’s Lake District guide (£14.99), for example, covers 122 locations and includes 300 inspirational images while the US Rocky Mountains guide ($9.99) covers 49 locations and has 140 images.

Take A Look Around

Once you have purchased a guide you’re able to browse images of the ‘Spots’ (locations) on your phone, registering favourites for later recall as you go.

Tapping the Info icon for any image reveals the exposure information as well as the camera, lens and focal length that was used for its capture.

You can also tap the Map icon to see the location of the Spots. Tapping on any of the Spot markers on the map scrolls the bar on the bottom to reveal an image and the name of the location along with its map coordinates and the current weather.

If you don’t like the look of the selected location, just scroll the bottom of the screen left or right to see alternative shooting locations or tap another marker on the map.

When you’ve found a location that interests you, tapping on the image or information panel takes you to a more in-depth guide. This covers aspects such as what to photograph, what time of year it’s at its best and the type of conditions that favour good photography.

Scroll down further and you’ll find a more detailed location map that has useful information like where to park. Helpfully, there’s also an icon that when tapped opens your choice of navigation app – I opted for Google Maps.

Just above this map is another small icon that opens the Photographer’s Ephemeris app if you have it installed on your phone. From here you can get detailed information about the angle of the sun and the like to help you time your shoot.

Available Offline

In recognition of the fact that some of the far-flung locations covered by the Guides don’t have an internet signal, purchased Guides can be downloaded for use when you’re offline.

It also possible to browse the guides and get a feel for what’s included via the Snapp Guides website.

Verdict

Snapp Guides combines a nice mix of inspirational images with useful information for visiting photographers. The Guides aren’t exhaustive, the London Guide for example, has 40 Spots, but they’re an excellent starting point and more locations are points are added on a regular basis.

If you’re planning on visiting a new area, or you’re looking for a destination for a photo holiday, I recommend taking a look at Snapp Guides. If your destination is covered by a Guide, it’s well-worth downloading it.